Why it works: Pepper and nutmeg match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 7% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 13,015 recipes. Both carry 4'-methylacetophenone, which smells bitter almond. The science ↓
To Roast Hare
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Wash the hare thoroughly and soak it in water for 1–2 hours.
If the hare is old, lard it to tenderize, or soak it in vinegar, then wash it well.
Roast
Stuff the belly with the prepared stuffing and sew it closed.
Keep the hare at a distance from the fire initially.
Baste the hare with milk until it is half cooked, then switch to butter.
Serve
Serve the hare with rich gravy, melted butter, and currant jelly sauce.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
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Pepper + nutmegtop 7% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together13,015 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
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Anchovy + breadtop 10% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,260 recipes
Shared aroma: hexanol (green, fruity).
-
Pepper + oniontop 11% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together68,474 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
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Anchovy + eggtop 12% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,330 recipes
Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).
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Liver + anchovytop 12% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together199 recipes
Shared aroma: hexanol (green, fruity).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Hare
- Lean meat that benefits from soaking and larding when it is old, to soften its texture.
- Liver
- Adds richness and moisture to the stuffing.
- Eggs
- Bind the stuffing so it holds together when cooked.
- Bread crumbs
- Absorb juices and give the stuffing body.
- Milk
- Basting milk gives gentle moisture and helps the surface brown as it cooks.
- Butter
- Adds fat and flavour and browns the surface during the final basting.
The step that matters
Keep the hare at a distance from the fire initially. Starting with gentle heat lets the meat cook through evenly before the outside browns or dries. Sudden high heat can toughen the surface while the centre is still underdone.
Swap the nutmeg
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (vinegar, liver, anchovy, pepper, onion, bread, egg):
- Parsleyfits better
- Garlicfits better
- Capersfits better
- Nutmegthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against vinegar, liver, anchovy, pepper, onion, bread, egg. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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